Folding device for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE VOE. FOLDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MCHINES. APPLICATION Flu-:DSEPT. 6. 1912.

1 ,1 97,7 14. Patented Sept. 12', 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESS/58;, 9 a if INI/Enron f... @a f Mtm mz Ncnle's Para: cz..rnomuma.. wnsmuurun. n. c,V

A. H.`DE VOE.

FOLDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6,1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: /NI/ENTR www y BY 'mi Noun/s sums zu, Pnomumo.. wnsumcmm o cHx DE VOE.

FOLDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, I9I2.

1,197,714. Pandsept. 12,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

II. II

WIT/VESSES:

rue/wams Ps1-:ns cu.. .ruomurnm wAsmNorvN, n. c.

tate the folding of the UNITED STATES APATEN T OFFICE..

ALBERT I-I. DE VOE, OF WESTFIELI), NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TIr-IE SINGERMANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATIONYOF NEW JERSEY.

l FOLDING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Application filed September 6, 1912. Serial No. 718,806.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVestfleld, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Devices forSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is designed more particularly for embodiment in thatclass of sewing machines which are employed for producing tucks incircular garments such as skirts, and in stitching therein ruffledstrips of fabric; and it relates especially to the means for producingthe tucks, whether formed in the body of the garment or at an extremitythereof requiring the hemming of the marginal portion.

The invention has for its objects to facilitucks and handling of thework, to insure precision in the presentation of the tuck to thestitch-forming mechanism, and to permit the easy retraction of certainof the work-engaging parts near the completion of a seam to enable thelatter to be finished at the starting point.

In its preferred form the invention vis applied to a sewing machinecontaining stitch-forming mechanism employing spaced reciprocatingneedles arranged diagonally relative tothe direction of feed and athroatplate formed with -raised work-sustaining portions containing theusual needle apertures and having edges arranged in different linescrosswise of the feed and at substantially the same distances in frontof the respective needles.

The tuck-folder is preferably vconstructed with a standing guide havinga flat operative face and arranged parallel with the direc tion of feedand at one such guide being formed at its advance or delivery end with alateral tuck-forming blade extending in fro-nt of the needles andhavingan inclined forward edge merging into the upper edge of saidguide. The guide is preferably formed of a sheet metal plate and issustained upon a fulcrum-pin journaled in a laterally movable carrierand having applied thereto a spring-pressed lifting lever whereby theforming blade may be raised in manipulating the work. A second formingblade, also pivotally mounted Specification of Letters Patent.

`upper and lower forming of which affords a separator-plate to permitstrip may be accurately side of the needles,

Patented Sept. 12, 191.6.

upon a laterally movable carrier, normally extends beneath thefirst-named forming blade with its adjacent'edge close to the standingguide. Sustained upon a vertically movable carrier 'is a smoothingmember having portions or wings normally disposed in overlappingrelation with the operative Iface of said guidel and the upper formingblade, respectively, whereby the .smoother is adapted to be lowered uponthe fabric overlying the upper forming blade to shape it closely inconformity with the operative face of the standing guide and the upperforming blade. The lower forming blade is preferably provided at theedge nearest the standing guide with a guide-loop through which aruffled strip is led for engagement by a retractable ruilling bladeadapted to engage the lsame intermediate the blades, the lower theaction of the rufllin'g blade.

To the sewing' machine work-plate may bel applied a detachableedge-folder disposed adjacent the standing guide and beneath the lowerforming blade, such folder being provided at the opposite edges withforwardly projecting tongues extending laterally each beyond alinementwith its respective needle relatively to the direction of feed, and oneof said tongues extending in the direction of feed in advance of theforemost needle or that nearest the front of the machine. By this means,the oppositeedges of the tuck `without the interposed ruflled presentedto the stitch-forming mechanism with the lower forming orseparator-blade and the ruflling blade retracted from .operativeposition. which is desirable for certain classes of work.

The carrier for the standing guide and upper-'forming blade preferablysustains a plate extending forwardly of the guide and having angularlydisposed faces affording a fabric-bending ridge in substantial alinementwith said: guide, so as to break the surface of the fabric in its ad-Vance to the guide and beneath the smoother,

fabric-supporting thus making the attachment effective in its normaloperation with the least possible attention of the attendant indirecting the work.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front side elevation and Fig. 2 a frontend elevation of a sewing machine embodying the present improvement-s,and Fig. 3 a plan of the same with the greater portion of thebracket-arm removed to expose the parts beneath. In these figures theseveral parts of t-he attachment are represented in retracted position.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment with its component partsin operative position. Fig. 5 is a plan of the throatplate, theedge-folder, and the standing guide with the upper forming bladerepresented partly in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is an elevation of thefabric-folding and ruiiiing parts viewed from the delivery end of theattachment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the standing guide and upperforming blade and showing the superposed smoother in dotted lines. Fig.S is a perspective view, and Fig. 9 an elevation partly in section,representing certain parts of the ruming device. Fig. 1() is aperspective view of the lower forming-blade carrying block. Fig. 11 isperspective view of a section of fabric representing the different kindsof fold with interposed ruiiied strip produced by the presentimprovement. Figs. 12 and 13 are perspective views, take-n fromdifferent positions, representing an alternative means for sustainingthe lower forming blade, and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a part ofsuch alternative construction. Fig. 15 is a detailed perspective view ofthe carrier slideblock for the fabric supporting plate.

In general constructive features, the machine and the ruiiiing mechanismof the present improvement are similar to those of my Patent- No.1,094,707, issued April 28, 1914. The frame comprises the base 1 andbracket-arm formed with the hollow standard 2 and overhanging tubularportion 3 in the head 4 of which is journaled the verticallyreciprocating needle-bar 5 carrying the needles 6 arranged diagonally orin a plane at an acute angle with the direction of feed and coperatingwith thread-carrying loopers 7 in the p-roduction of paralleldoublechain-stitch seams, the under ply of the work being 'engaged bythe feed-dog 8 carried by the feed-bar 9 for advancing the work to spacethe stitches.

The pressure member 10 ofthe presserfoot, which is opposed to thefeed-dog S, is pivotally attached by means of the pin 11 to the shank 12which is secured by means of the fastening screw 13 to the reduced lowerend of the presser-bar 14 mounted in the head 4 of the bracket-arm andhaving its upper end engaged by the free end of the pressure spring 15whose opposite end rests upon the top of the bracket-arm member 3 and isheld in position by the steady pin 16 thereon and pressed downwardlyintermediate its ends by means of the thrust-screw 17 tapped into thelug 18. The presser-foot has the usual elongated needle-apertures 19 andits upturned forward portion 20 is formed at opposite sides of thecenter in longitudinally offset transverse lines substantiallyequidistant from the respective neeelle-apertures, of the needlespassing through them.

Secured upon the sewing machine workplate 21 by the usual means is thethroatplate 22 formed with the raised work-sustaining portion 23 inwhich are formed the two elongated needle-apertures 24 and the feed-dogapertures 25, one of said needle apertures being disposed forwardly ofthe second needle aperture. The forward eX- treinity of the raisedportion 23 terminates at opposite sides o-f the center substantiallyequal distances in front of the forward ends of the needle-apertures orthe paths of reciprocation of the needles entering the same, as clearlyrepresented in Fig. 5.

Secured'by means of fastening screws 26 upon a carrier slide-block 27fitted within a guideway 28 arranged transversely to the direction offeed in the work-plate is the fabric-supporting plate 29 which isfo-rmed in its forward portion with stepped upper faces 30 and 31forming between them a fabric bending ridge 32.

The plate 29 has extending rearwardly from and in substantial alinementwith the ridge 32 the laterally rounded tongue 33 against the oppositefiat side face of which adjacent the stitch-forming and feeding devicesi'ests the standing guide-plate 34 having the advance end portion turnedover at the upper edge to aord a lateral tuck-forining blade 35 with anoperative edge 35 inclined backwardly and outwardly from and merginginto the upper edge of the guidepiate ai.

The member 34, whose side face presents a standing guide for the fabric,is preferably formed of sheet metal with the forming blade 35 integraltherewith, and is attached at its forward end to the transversefulerum-pin 36 which is `iournaled within the plate 29 and has securedto its under side the offset portion 37 of the lever-plate housed withina recess in the under side of the plate 29 and normally pressedupw'ardto maintain the guide-member 34 in its lower position by means of theflat spring 39 secured in position by the fastening screw 40. Thelever-plate 38 has upon the upper side of its outer extremity theprojects through an aperture 29 of the plate 29 to receive the pressureof the operators linger in lifting the members 34 and 35.

The shank 27 of the carrier-block 27 is secured by screws 42 uponthevcollar 43 fixed upon the slide-rod 44 which is Journaled near oneend in the frame member 1 and near the opposite end in the standard 45knob 41 which or the paths of reciprocation secured by screws 46 to thefront side of the base 1. The rod 44 has secured thereon by means ofscrews 47 between the collar 43 and the standard 45 the block 48-interposed between which and the standard 45 is the spring 49 normallypressing the rod to the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4, to shift andmaintain the plate 29 and parts carried thereby in the retractedposition represented in Figs. 1 and 3.

`To the block 48 is secured by means of screws 50 one end of the springlatch-barY 51 whose opposite end portion rests upon the shoulder 45 ofthe standard to which it is confined by theroverhanging stud 52. The bar51 has formed upon its lower edge the stop-lug 53 adapted for engagementwith the standard in the position of the rod 44 corresponding with theoperative relation of the members 34 and 35 with the stitch-form- -ingmechanism, in which position it is held by means of the engagement ofthe block 54 upon its rearward face with the adjacent edge of thestandard 45, a forwardly offset finger-piece 55 being formed at theeXtremity of the bar 51 for manipulating the same, and the stud 52 beingspaced far enough in front of the standard to permit the bending of thebar 51 forward to disengage the block 54 from the standard when theconnected parts are to be retracted from operative position.

Journaled in theV bearing lugs 56 of the face-plate 4 is the verticallymovable sliderod 57 to which is Xed by means of the setscrew 58 thecollar 59 carrying the laterally extending finger-piece 60 and thedepending guide-pin 61 adapted to rest upon the top of the lower bearinglug 56 when the rod 57 is in its upper position and to enter the lateralguide-notch 62 formed in such lug to lock the rod against turning whenthe latter is in lo-wer or operative position. The rod 57 is surroundedby the pressure-spring 63 interposed between the upper bearing lug 56and the collar 59 by means of which it is pressed downwardly intooperative position. Secured upon the lower end of the rod 57 by means ofclamp-screws 64 is the split collar 65 in which is secured the laterallybent Carrier-arm 66 having attached to its lower face by screws 67 thesmoother comprising the angular `shaped saddle-piece 68 having near itsforward end the depending wing 69 overlapping and slightly spaced fromthe outer or operative face of the guide-plate 34 and having in itsrearward portion the lateral wing 70 substantially parallel with andnormally overlying the primary or upper forming blade 35.

Sustained at the opposite side from the feed line from the primaryforming blade is the secondary forming blade 71 normally disposedbeneath the forming blade 35 and smoother wing 70 and having itsadjacent edge spaced slightly from the flat operative face of theguide-plate 34. Overlying the blade 71 is the rutile-strip guide-loop 72whose' shank 73, with the shank 74 of the blade 71, are secured by meansof fastening screws 75 upon the outer end of the lever-plate 76 attachedby screws 77 to a hinge-plate 78 which is pivotally mounted by means ofthe screw-pin 79 within a Vchannel 80 in the top of the yslideblocl 81.

The block 81 is formed with the longitudinally extending aperture 82 andlateral recess 83 respectively fitted to the guide-bar 84 and guide-rod85 secured within and extending laterally from the head of the standard45. Pivotally mounted upon the leverplate 76 by means of the stud-screw86 is the latch-lever 87 normally pressed outwardly to maintainY thebackwardly extending lug 88 seated against the end of the hinge-plate 78by means of the spring 89 interposed be tween said lever and theinner'rend of a socket formed therefor in the hinge-plate. Thelatch-lever 87 is formed with a notch 90 for engagement with a lug 91 ofthe plate 92 adjustably secured by means of screws 93 upon tl'ie head ofthe standard 45 for locling the lower forming blade 71 in operativeposition in advance of the needles.

The block 81 carries a screw 94 whose point affords an adjustable stopfor engagement with the adjacent end of the standard 45 to determine theoperative position of the forming blade 71. In order to retract theforming blade 71 it is merely necessary for the operator to pressthethumb-piece 87 of the latch-lever 87 to disengage the notch 90 fromthe lug 91,7Ywhen the block 81 is freev to be drawn backwardly upon thesupporting rods 84 and 85, the lever-plate 76 being lifted, asrepresented in dotted lines in Fig. 1, upon its hinge-pin 79 whenrequired. The block 81 may obviously be entirely detached from thesupporting rods for removal of the under forming blade from the machinewhen required.

As represented in the drawings, the blade 71 is formed with groovedupper face 7l and notched forward edge to serve as a separator-plate incombination with the reciprocating ruiling blade 95 which is formed withtheusual fastening screw aperture 96, as represented in Fig. 6.

The work-plate 21 has formed in its upper face parallel with thedirection of feed an undercut channel 97 in which is fitted theremovable slide-plate 98 having secured thereto by means of screws 99the shank 100 of the edge-turning scroll 101 arranged in advance of anddirected toward the needles and provided within the scroll with thearbor 102. The scroll 101 is disposed beneath the operative positions ofthe forming blades, and the arbor 102 has at the delivery end thelateral tongue 103 extending close to the adjacent extremity of theraised portion 23 of the throat-plate and across the line of seam of theadjacent needle; while the opposite edge of the scroll has a tongue 104extending in advance of the tongue 103 and beyond the said needlerelatively to the direction of feed. rlhis tongue also extends acrossthe line of seam of the other needle and close to the adjacent edge ofthe throat-plate projection 23. By the means described, when the lowerforming blade 71 is in either operative or retracted position the edgesof the folds presented to the stitch-forming mechanism by the members34, 35 and 101 are directed with the utmost precision in such mannerthat the parallel seams will be applied just within such edges. Byextending the tongue 104 in advance of the foremost needle, the hem foldsecured at one edge by such needle is maintained properly positioned forthe action of the rearward needle.

As more fully described in my pending application, Serial No. 552,948,the mainshaft 105 journaled in the bed 1 carries the actuating eccentric106 embraced by the strap 107 of the eccentric-rod 108 whose aperturedupper end embraces the stud 109 of the crank-arm 110 upon the rearwardend of the ruffler rock-shaft 111 suitably mounted at the rear of thebracket-arm member 3.

The rock-shaft 111 carries near its forward end the crank-arm 112connected by the link 113 with a crank-arm 114 upon the rockshaft 115journaled in the bracket-arm head. The rock-shaft 115 has fixed upon itsforward end a depending arm 116 having an undercut groove or channel toreceive the head 117 of the coupling pin 118 having loosely journaledthereon the slide-block 119 fitted within the slideway 120 in theextension 121 of the ruliiing lever 122. The ruffling lever is sustainedupon the stud screw 123 carried by the arm 124 fixed at one end upon thefulcrum-pin 125 and connected at the opposite end by means of thestud-screw 126 with the collar 127 fixed upon the presser-bar 14.

The vibrating ruifling lever 122 is formed with spaced and aperturedbearing lugs 128 and 129 in which is journaled the rocking pin 130having fixed upon its lower end the rigid arm 131 formed in its lowerside with an endwise extending slot or channel 131 in which is mountedby means of the fulcrum-screw 132 the rearward end of the ruffler-bladecarrying an arm 133 provided at its opposite end with the lateralextension 134 having in its upper face a seat to which is secured bymeans of the screw 135 the shank of the ruffling blade 95. The arm 133has at its rearward end the upwardly projecting member 136 withapertured lateral lug 137 through which passes the radial screw-pin 138cam-lug 144 with inclined lower operative face. The arm 131 has at oneside of its slot 131 a socket 145 in which is journaled the upwardlyextending locking pin 146 having in its outer portion the annular slotor neck 147 and in its inner portion a recess between the extremity ofwhich and the bottom of .the socket 145 is interposed the spring 148.(Fig. 9). Pivotally mounted by means of the screw-pin 149 passingthrough a depending ear thereof housed within the slot 150 of the arm131 is the latchnplate 151 formed in one edge with the notch 152embracing the neck 147 of the locking pin 146.

The pin 146 is maintained by the spring 148 normally in its upperposition in which it is adapted to enter the aperture 143 of the lug 142to lock the ruffling blade carrying arm 133 in operative relation withthe stitchforming and folding devices. By depressing the latch-plate 151by pressure upon the lateral finger-piece 153, the upper end of the pin146 is retracted to enable the arm 133 to be swung laterally andbackwardly into retracted position, as represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.As the arm is shifted again into operative position, the round upper endof the locking pin 146 encounters the inclined lower face of the cam-lug144 by which it is depressed in opposition to its spring 148 until itcomes into register with the aperture 143 which it enters under theaction of such spring to lock the ruffling blade in operative position.

In the operation of the machine as thus described, -the slideplate 98 ispreferably removed for applying a rufiie strip 11 within a tuck-fold tin the body of the garment m, which is first introduced between thethroatplate and the presserefoot while all the parts of the ruffling andfo'lding devices are retracted. The lower or secondary forming blade isfirst shifted into position above the body fabric, and the upper orprimary forming blade with its attached standing guide then moved intooperative position to bend the fabric into an initial fold t. The foldis then lightly pressed into conformity with the upper forming blade andthe standing guide by lowering the smoother after which, the parts 35and 70 having been slightly raised by depression of the finger-lever 38to open out the fold t, the ruffle strip ris introduced over the blade71 and the ruiiiing blade shifted into position above the same andbeneath the fold. The presser-foot having been finally lowered, thefabric is advanced to the stitch-forming mechanism with the oppositeedges of the tuckI accurately directed to the needles by the outer orfree edges of the forming blades with the margin of the ruffle stripsecured beneath the Vfold by the seam s laid by the foremost needle orthat nearest the rufller-arm 133. As the folding, rufiiing and stitchingnears the starting point of the circular garment, such as a skirt, thefolding and ruifling members may be retracted out of operative positionand the seam completed by hand manipulation of the work.

In the use of the edge-folder, the margin of the garment is firstintroduced therein to form the hem 7L, and the other parts shifted intooperative position as before, and in the same order, the lower formingblade serving in this case merely as a separator-plate for coperationwith the ruflling blade, as the tongue 10a of the edge-folder serves tocorrectly position the adjacent edge of the fold for delivery to therear-most needle which forms the second seam s.

In some cases, it is desirable to support the lower forming blade fromthe head of the bracket-arm, as represented in Figs. 12, 13 and 14:. Inthis case, the blade 71 and guideloop 72 are secured to a lateral ear154 of a swinging lever 155 fulcrumed upon the studscrew 156 tapped intothe bracket-plate 157 which is secured by means of screws 158 to thefront of the bracket-arm head. The lever 155 has pivotally mountedthereon by means of the stud-screw 159 entering the aperture 160 thereinthe angular latch-plate 161 having at one edge the hook 162 and at theother edge the rib 163 formed with a hook 164. A spring 165 isinterposed between the rib 163 and the bottom of a socket formed in thelever 155 to yieldingly maintain the latch-plate in locking position.

lVhen the lever 155 is in vertical or operative position, the hook 162engages the lower edge of the catch-plate 166 which is secured by screws167 to the edge of the bracketplate 157. By pressure of the finger-piece168, the latch-plate 161 may be rocked to disengage the hook 162 fromthe catch-plate, so as to permit the lever 155 to be swung upwardly asrepresented in dotted lines in F ig. 12 for engagement of the hook 1611with the stud-pin 169 upon the bracket-plate 157, from which it may bedisengaged by pressure of the finger-piece 168 to rock the latchplate161.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. A. sewing machine tuck-'folder coni-` prising overlyingtuck-forming blades, a guide disposed in angular relation with andextending forwardly from the Lipper forming blade, and a smoothingmember comprising two walls, one wall overlying the guide andsubstantially parallel with the upper .forming blade and the second walldisposed parallel with the guide, the said walls cooperating to fold abody fabric between them preliminary to action on the fold by thetuck-forming blades. I

2. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising a standing guide having aflat operative face sustaining at its advance or delivery end a lateraltuck-forming blade bent downwardly toward the delivery end of thefolder, a second forming blade normally arranged beneath and spaced fromthe first-mentioned blade and from said standing guide, and a smoothingmember having portions overlying and substantially parallel with thefaces of both said guide and the upper forming blade.

3. A Sewing machine tuck-folder comprising overlying and relativelyyielding tuckforming blades spaced apart, a guide disposed in angularrelation with and extending forwardly from the upper forming blade, anda smoothing member comprising two walls, one wall overlying the guideand substantially parallel with the upper forming blade and the secondwall disposed parallel with the guide, the said walls coperating to folda body fabric between them preliminary to action on the fold by thetuckforming blades.

4c. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising a standing guide having aflat operative face sustaining at its advance or delivery end a lateraltuck-forming blade bent downwardly toward the delivery end of thefolder, the edge of said blade merging into the upper edge of saidguide, a fulcrum in angular relation with said operative face upon whichsaid guide and forming blade are sustained, a spring for maintainingsaid parts yieldingly in normal position, a second forming bladedisposed beneath and spaced from the first-named blade and from saidguide, and a smoothing member having a portion overlying the face ofsaid guide.

5. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising a standing guide having aflat operative face sustaining at its advance or delivery end a lateraltuck-forming blade bent downwardly toward the delivery end of thefolder, the edge of said blade merging into the upper edge of saidguide, a fulcrum in angular relation with said operative face upon whichsaid guide and forming blade are sustained, a lifting lever applied tosaid fulcrum whereby said forming blade may be raised, a spring formaintaining said parts yieldingly in normal position, a second formingblade disposed beneath and spaced from the first-named blade and fromsaid guide, and a smoothing member having portions overlying the facesof both said guide and the upper forming blade.

G. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising a standing sheet metal guidehaving the advance end portion turned over to aEord a lateral formingblade bent downwardly toward the delivery end of the folder with itsedge merging into that of said guide, a second forming blade normallyarranged beneath and spaced from the first-mentioned blade and from saidstanding guide, 'and a smoothing member overlying said guide.

7. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising overlying tuck-forming bladesspaced apart and supported from opposite edges, a guide disposed inangular relation with and extending forwardly from the upper formingblade, a smoothing member having portions overlying the faces of bothsaid guide and the upper forming blade, a retractable carrier for saidsmoothing member, and means for locking it in retracted position. I

S. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising spaced overlyingtuclr-forming blades, a guide disposed in angular relation with andextending forwardly from the upper forming blade, a fabric supportingplate extending forwardly of said guide and having stepped faces forminga fabric bending ridge in substantial alinement with said guide, and asmoothing member overlying said guide in advance of the uppertuck-forming blade.

9. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming and feedingmecha nisms, of a laterally movable support, a standing guide withlateral tuck-forming blade. mounted upon said support, a second formingblade laterally movable and adapted for arrangement beneath thefirst-named forming blade and adjacent said standing guide, a smoothingmember having operative portions overlying said guide and upper formingblade, and a vertically movable carrier sustaining said smoothingmember.

lO. In a sewing machine, the combination with feedingmechanism,stitch-formingmechanism comprising spaced reciprocating needles arrangeddiagonally relative to the direction of feed, and a throat-plateprovided with needle apertures, of a standing guide having a flatoperative face, a laterally extending tuck-forming blade. sustained atthe advance or forward end of said guide, and an edge-folder disposedadjacent said guide and provided at the opposite edges with forwardlyprojecting tongues extending beneath said forming blade, the

Copies of this patent may outer edge of each tongue crossing the path ofits respective needle.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination with feeding mechanism,stitch-forming mechanism comprising spaced reciprocating needlesarranged diagonally relative to the direction of feed, and athroat-plate provided with needle apertures, of a standing guide havinga fiat operative face, a laterally extending tuck-forming bladesustained at the advance or forward end of said guide, and anedge-folder disposed adjacent said guide and provided at the oppositeedges with forwardly projecting tongues extending beneath said formingblade and each crossing the path of its respective needle, one of saidtongues extending in advance of the foremost needle.

12. In a sewing machine, the combination with feeding mechanism,stitch-forming mechanism comprising spaced reciprocating needlesarranged diagonally relative to the direction of feed, and athroat-plate formed with raised work-sustaining portions containingapertures for the respective needles and with edges at substantially thesame distances in front of the respective needle-s, of a standing guidehaving a flat operative face, a laterally extending tuck-forming bladesustained at the advance or forward end of said guide, and anedge-folder disposed in advance of the needles adjacent said guide andprovided at the opposite edges with work-supporting tongues of unequallength extending beneath said forming blade and each terminating closeto one of said raised portions of the throat-plate.

13. A sewing machine tuck-folder comprising a standing guide having aflat operative face sustaining at its advance or delivery end a lateraltuck-forming blade bent downwardly toward the delivery end of the folderand its edge merging into the upper edge of said guide, a fulcrum inangular relation with said operative face upon which said guide andforming blade are sustained, a lifting lever applied to said fulcrumwhereby said forming blade may be raised, a spring for maintaining saidparts yieldingly in normal position, and a second forming blade disposedbeneath and spaced from the first-named blade and from said guide.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. DE VOE.

lVitnesses:

WV. P. STEWART, H. A. KORNEMANN, Jr.

be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ofPatents,

Washington, D. C.

